HBCU recruiting got a jolt on January 23, 2026, when Virginia Tech tight end commit Isaiah Pina flipped his pledge to Southern University.
Southern University lands late momentum
Pina is a 6-foot-6, 225-pound Class of 2026 tight end from South Lake High School in Groveland, Florida. He went from “Hokies commit” to “Jaguars commit” in a hurry. His timeline on 247Sports shows Southern University offered him on Jan. 23 — and he committed the same day, officially decommitting from Virginia Tech after originally pledging to the Hokies on Oct. 22, 2025.
For Southern, it’s the kind of addition that fits the modern recruiting blueprint: length, upside, and a background that suggests more growth is coming once football becomes his full-time focus. It’s the kind of win it hopes to normalize with new head coach Marshall Faulk. Faulk’s recruiting coordinator is Ben Miles, son of former LSU head coach Les Miles.
Virginia Tech loses a high-upside target
Pina is still relatively new to organized football, which makes his profile even more intriguing. According to 247Sports notes, 2025 marked his first year playing organized football, and through eight games he had 13 catches for 171 yards (over 21 yards per catch) with five touchdowns. That’s a big-play tight end track record in a short window, and it helps explain why multiple programs showed interest.
HBCU path: a multi-sport athlete with ceiling
The HBCU win here isn’t just about a flip headline — it’s about projection. Pina is a true multi-sport athlete: he’s produced big numbers on the basketball court and has track-and-field experience in jumps and relays. Pair that with his size, and Southern University is betting it can turn raw tools into a matchup problem in the passing game.
If the development clicks, this could be one of Southern’s most talked-about recruiting wins of the 2026 cycle.